Many people think that a hot tub or a pool spa requires the same care as a swimming pool. However, proper spa maintenance can lengthen the life of the water and keep it with a proper balance and therefore prevent sanitary and equipment problems before they arise.

High bather loads cannot be safely handled over long periods of time without having to drain the spa more often. The following is a guideline to follow in order to estimate how often to drain a pool spa.

• Divide your total spa gallons by 3.
• Take your results and divide them by your Bather Load, or your average number of bathers per day.
• The result equals to the estimated number of days between water changes recommended to properly maintain your pool spa or hot tub.

For example, a 600 gallon spa with an average of 2 people per day Bather Load will need to be maintained by draining it every 100 days.

Periodic draining of your pool spa or hot tub water is the most important component of proper spa water maintenance. Once you have determined how often your spa needs to be drained you can schedule service with our pool experts here at Pool Sharks.

Painting a plaster swimming pool is not an uncommon method of rejuvenating your backyard escape. However, much thought should be given to the benefits and disadvantages of such procedure.

The first thing that must be done is determining your current swimming pool finish. Is it plaster? How old is it? Is it paint? What kind of paint and how many layers is it?

Once you have established your current swimming pool finish, you must decide to re-plaster your swimming pool or repaint.

We are often asked that question and our answer has much to do with the desired finished quality. Here are some determining factors regarding paint that will allow you to make an informed decision:

1. Durability and Wear: There are different qualities of paint out in the market today. Your choice will determine how long that paint job will last. Higher quality paints, which are also the most expensive, will only last up to 5 years. Paints come in a broad range of prices. Like everything else, you get what you pay for in quality and longevity.
2. Maintenance: Pool paint starts chipping off the plaster after some time, it varies depending on the quality of paint you used, meaning that you will have to drain the pool more often to repaint or touch up. Old paint that is chipping creates not only cloudy pool water but also your pool equipment, pumps and filters, will clog easier. This raises the maintenance of your filter from twice a year to every month or every other month. That is not to mention the harder your pump is working.
3. Ease in Cleaning: Pool paints can harbor algae at a higher rate than plaster, this will not only cause a dirtier pool that is harder to clean but also a slippery surface, which can be dangerous for a pool bottom.

When making a decision for your swimming pool surface we can conclude that painting your swimming pool is a second hand choice to re-plastering. It may be half the cost, but in turn, it will also only last half as long, on a good day. The few dollars that you would be saving in the short run, you will be spending in the long run.

Here at Pool Sharks we are constantly looking for the best choice for your swimming pool